4-8 Count Bodger
“Next, I want you to go and exterminate the Orcs.”
As soon as I returned from slaying the dragon, another extermination order was issued.
Orcs are monsters that look like humans with pig heads. In essence, they’re pig-people. Their breeding rate is comparable to that of pigs, and if left unchecked, they multiply rapidly.
So this time, it wasn’t related to the Holy Maiden, but simply a local lord’s negligence.
I had no intention of complaining about it.
Including my previous life, I had rarely left the royal capital, but I saw how people lived in Treki village and Duke Doze’s town. I realized that nobles aren’t great just because they’re nobles, but because they protect the people as nobles. I hadn’t given much thought to such things before, but I came to believe that fighting for the common people wasn’t so bad.
“Can you really exterminate the Orcs?”
Count Bodger, who had neglected the Orcs in his domain and allowed them to proliferate, had a poor attitude.
He eyed me and my attendants suspiciously.
With a barrel-like obese body and a sagging chin, he was the kind of nobleman who wouldn’t be allowed in social gatherings in the royal capital. But having secluded himself in the countryside, he probably mistook himself for the most important person around.
His gaze on me was disgusting. His eyes crawled over me from top to bottom.
Somehow, all the motivation I had on the way here vanished in an instant.
I stopped caring about the common people. I just wanted to go home.
However, I was even more annoyed by Count Bodger’s attitude.
As soon as he met me, he pointed at Isabel and said,
“Won’t you give me this attendant?”
Even the usually calm Isabel showed clear displeasure on her face.
I was displeased too.
He had some nerve, trying to take someone else’s property.
When I flatly refused, he began to doubt my abilities, as if looking for a quarrel.
“If you doubt my power, shall we test it here?”
I summoned a flame in my palm.
If I said I mistook him for an Orc, I could probably kill him without consequences. If I roasted him crispy and fed him to the Orcs, there would be no evidence left, and no one would find out.
The numerous soldiers accompanying Count Bodger hurriedly surrounded us, pointing their swords and spears. It’s amazing how loyal they are to such a lord.
Richard casually grabbed the base of a spear’s blade and lifted the soldier along with it.
The soldier who didn’t let go of his spear was lifted high into the air, screaming.
“Huh!”
As Richard swung the spear, the poor soldier was thrown far away, embracing the ground with a weak maiden-like cry.
“Bring it on, if you dare?”
Richard showed a defiant smile to Count Bodger and his men as he snapped the spear in his hand.
His attitude might be a bit problematic as my attendant, but I can blame everything on him if something happens, so it’s fine as it is.
“No, you… I mean, Lady Selina and your companions, I understand your power well. Yes, it’s reassuring. By all means, I’ll ask you to exterminate the Orcs.”
Count Bodger tried to save face, acknowledging us with a trembling voice.
I could have continued the confrontation, but the order I received was to exterminate the Orcs, so I had to take care of that first. I also needed to gather information.
As Count Bodger fled, one of his subordinates stayed behind to tell us about the current situation with the Orcs.
“Are those Orcs?”
Standing on high ground, I couldn’t believe my eyes at the sight below.
It looked like a vast, brown-painted wasteland. But upon closer inspection, the brown mass was moving individually. An enormous number of Orcs covered the land.
According to Count Bodger’s subordinate, the Orcs had attacked the town many times before.
At first, their numbers weren’t significant, but fearing unnecessary losses, Count Bodger only drove them away without pursuing them.
Orcs aren’t stupid. They have at least pig-level intelligence. After repeatedly attacking the town and facing defeat, they chose to retreat to the mountains and forests, taking time to build up their forces. And they succeeded in gathering considerable numbers.
At that point, there was still a chance of victory, apparently. The knight commander in charge of protecting this domain advised so. However, when the large horde of Orcs approached again, Count Bodger, frightened, made peace by offering them food. And he did this multiple times.
The Orcs ate the given food and further increased their numbers, leading to the current situation. Now, Count Bodger’s domain has no food left to give to the Orcs. In fact, even the royal capital probably doesn’t have enough food to feed that many Orcs.
That’s why Count Bodger hastily requested the king to send an extermination force.
What an absurd story. Orcs are known for their high fertility – it’s said that “if you see one, assume there are ten.” The iron rule is to exterminate them thoroughly when found, or drive them away until they leave.
To allow them to breed in one’s own territory, even providing food, is beyond foolish.
Count Bodger himself apparently boasted,
“I’m a pacifist, so I resolved conflicts through dialogue instead of relying on force!”
The subordinate left behind to explain seemed to vent his pent-up frustrations, telling me even things I hadn’t asked about.
It seems this person didn’t get along well with Count Bodger and was assigned the unpleasant role of explaining the situation to me. Thanks to that, I was able to obtain a lot of information.
And now, a disgustingly large number of Orcs are approaching.
“Should I burn them for now?”
“As you wish.”
My five attendants followed my words. This time, Alice is on a separate mission.
No matter how many there are, they’re just Orcs. It’s not a problem even if one or two attendants are missing.
“Louis, back me up with magical power.”
“Yes.”
Louis hesitantly touched my back and began supplying magical power. Louis is quite a powerful magic user too, though not as much as Alice. Well, I’m overwhelmingly the strongest, of course.
[Red flame spirit, scorching heat that melts even rocks, hellfire, dwell in my hands, grant me power, I desire to burn the world to ashes…]
Fire spells are my specialty. I have a great affinity for them. Usually, it’s difficult for me to use my full power because of this strong affinity, but this time, given the numbers, I can go all out.
[Fill the three thousand worlds with crimson lotus flowers, annihilate!]
As the spell was completed, fierce flames engulfed the Orcs. It spread like a tsunami, swallowing the Orcs one after another.
The screams of the pigs echoed across the land.
“Hehehe.”
I have no particular grudge against them, but I can’t help but smile. Orcs make surprisingly good sounds when they scream.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM
Some of the Orcs who barely escaped the flames spotted us on the high ground and raised their voices.
Even pigs can apparently figure out who created this artistic flame.
The enraged Orcs rushed towards me en masse. Although I had burned most of them with magic, given their initial enormous numbers, there were still a considerable number of survivors. At least a hundred, I’d say.
“I’m tired, so I’ll sit down. Can you take care of the rest?”
“Sir, yes sir!”
As I sat down in a chair, Richard and Emma took the lead.
Richard’s great sword, swung with a war cry, sliced through three or four Orcs with each strike.
Emma skillfully wielded two swords, accurately striking the enemies’ vital points.
Although the two had contrasting fighting styles, the number of surviving orcs rapidly diminished.
Realizing their disadvantage, the orcs tried to flee, but Oscar and Isabel had already circled around to cut off their escape route. Those two are remarkably skilled at fighting dirty.
After all, we can’t let a single one escape. I don’t make mistakes.
And so, the extermination of the orcs came to a swift end.
“As expected of Lady Selina! I believed in you from the start!”
Count Bodger, who came to greet us, had completely changed his attitude from before, now acting subservient.
He was even wringing his hands, making his intentions all too obvious.
Many residents had gathered around us. They probably came out of curiosity to see those who had annihilated the vast horde of orcs.
“Silence, Count Bodger! You are to be escorted to the royal capital!”
I denounced Count Bodger in front of everyone.
“W-what’s this all of a sudden?!”
Count Bodger looked completely baffled.
“You are responsible for the massive outbreak of orcs. Do you know how many people suffered because of that?! His Majesty the King will never forgive your crime!”
By the way, I hadn’t received any such order from the king. This was a complete abuse of authority. However, the thought of working for someone like him made my blood boil, so I decided to take him in as a criminal.
“The massive outbreak of orcs wasn’t my fault! There’s no reason for me to be judged for that!”
Count Bodger protested, his fat body trembling.
What he’s saying isn’t wrong. Sure, his handling of the situation was incorrect, but whether that alone constitutes a crime is debatable. But that doesn’t matter. I simply don’t like him.
“There are other charges as well! The numerous wrongdoings you’ve committed in your domain, we already have evidence of them!”
“That’s absurd! I know nothing about such things!”
Count Bodger’s face turned pale.
I don’t know either. After all, I’m just making it up as I go.
But with a face like that, it’s hard to believe he’s been governing well. Even his subordinates disliked him.
The gathered residents, though silent, were clearly delighted at the Count’s predicament, confirming my assumptions.
Just then, Alice returned. Her expression was as blank as ever, but she gave a thumbs up.
It seems she had gathered evidence.
Alice has been a natural sneak thief since our orphanage days, always sneaking into people’s rooms to rummage through books and letters. I had her use that talent to infiltrate Count Bodger’s mansion and search for evidence of wrongdoing.
“Now Alice, show us the evidence!”
“Yes. There are double books for tax receipts, and the actual tax revenue differs from what was submitted to the country. I’ve also found letters proving that positions were decided through bribes. There are also letters detailing how wealthy merchants were falsely accused and their properties unjustly seized.”
Alice spread out several documents.
“Hey, seize that girl!”
This time, Count Bodger, his face now bright red, ordered the soldiers, but they just looked at each other, none willing to move. That’s because Richard was cracking his knuckles menacingly.
I’m truly delighted that Count Bodger had committed crimes befitting his appearance.
Well, whether he was guilty or not wouldn’t have changed what I was going to do.
Now, if I can gather the support of the residents, I should be able to avoid any troublesome questions when I return to the royal capital.
I addressed the crowd:
“People of this land! I am Selina Rosenberg. I have come here on His Majesty’s orders to bring peace to this region! For that purpose, I have incinerated tens of thousands of orcs. Defeating the orcs was indeed necessary to establish peace in this land. However, the true enemies of this country are not just monsters. The lords who commit evil acts and injustices are also enemies who harm this country. They threaten the nation and its foundation, the people, and disturb the peace. We must unite against them and face them with courage. We are called upon to stand firm against lies and injustice, to face difficulties, and to act with bravery. That is the true peace that His Majesty the King seeks. And today, this land has been able to usher in the dawn of a new era!”
As usual, I’m just saying whatever comes to mind, but the residents responded with enthusiastic cheers. Many were even in tears.
This is going well. Once you create a fait accompli, it’s all in your favor.
With this, everything I’ve done will be considered the King’s orders.
After all, it’s the King’s fault for dumping everything on me. He should at least let me cover my tracks this much.
Amidst the thunderous applause, I threw the tied-up Count Bodger onto the back of a shabby cart.
Other nobles and officials suspected of being involved in the wrongdoings were being caught one after another by the residents.
It would be helpful if they could dispose of all of them, as they might give unfavorable testimonies against me.
And so, I left this land behind.
“Your Majesty, Father, I have brought peace to that land as per your orders!”
Later, back at the castle, I cheerfully reported.
“Ah, yes. Well done.”
Both their faces were twitching, but there was no particular reprimand. After all, I had annihilated the orcs and judged a corrupt lord, so there was no reason for complaints.
Count Bodger, whom I had brought back, was found guilty as I had requested and sent to prison.
After that, I continued to fight monsters, leading my followers. What we were doing was essentially that of a mercenary group.
Wherever we went, we were warmly welcomed by both the lords and the common people.
According to them, I was a saint who had defeated the monsters. That’s ridiculous. I can use ordinary magic, but I can’t use light magic.
I tried to explain this everywhere, but somehow I’ve become known as a saint who rehabilitated rough orphans, showed kindness to stray dogs, and excelled in both sword and magic.
It seems that the King has been propagating this image of me, the Crown Prince’s fiancée.
I can understand why. If it’s something done by the future queen, it becomes an achievement for the country. That also leads to the King’s centripetal force.
In this country, royal authority isn’t that powerful, and there’s a strong aspect of rule by consensus among influential nobles.
In my previous life, when I was discarded and Eleanor, the saint, was placed in the position of future queen, it was probably due to such circumstances. In other words, they wanted the prestige of a saint for the future king more than the backing of a duke’s family.
Now, I have both the power of the duke’s family and the reputation of a hero who defeats monsters. For the royal family, it’s convenient to elevate me to sainthood.
Probably in my previous life, Eleanor was made to do this monster subjugation alone, which I’m doing now. Even if she could use light magic, it’s not such an easy task. Even a saint is just a fifteen-year-old girl. What was I doing when I was fifteen in my previous life?
…I only remember wasting money on trivial things.
Perhaps I was too ignorant of many things in my previous life.
As I moved from battle to battle, covered in the blood of monsters, these thoughts crossed my mind.
TLNOTE : While waiting, I implore you dear readers to read other masterpiece novels that also written by the same author :
- When the Monster Meat I Ate Led Me to the Throne
- Who killed the Hero?
- The Suspects of Necromancy
- The Exiled Merchant Saves the World with the Power of Gold (translated by my friend meerkat)
Also check out my friend Localizermeerkat for more LN translations!
BUY THE SOURCE MATERIAL TO SUPPORT THE AUTHOR !!!
Kindly click on the green button above and contribute to filling the green bar if you’re interested in having another LN from the request page translated. Also, every donation is being used to purchase the source material and to fund more English translations.
Please consider joining my Ko-Fi membership. By becoming a member, you’ll also gain access to 2-10 additional chapters of all of the novels from this site translated into English. Last but not least your support will also assist me in upholding the translation quality and speed. For more information, please follow the link.
Donation for faster release is always welcome
Additionally, I am now accepting translation requests.
